[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au4KRNXgOns?fs=1]
Sometimes it’s nice just to think ‘hurray’ about something. But the wider implication is that this is just one example of how politics is changing and will continue to change. It won’t always be easy for politicians to deal with, but the trends to me appear to be:
1. People will get involved on a particular issue and act if they can see a specific outcome they want, rather than necessarily signing up to a particular political party or pressure group
2. It’s easier to co-ordinate in order to put pressure on decision makers than ever before
3. If you depend on being popular, or at least not unpopular, it’s now easier for people to make you change what you are planning to do or else you will have to suffer the consequences of bad press*
4. 24 hour news cycle? Forget it!
5. There is an increasing divide between the highly motivated groups participating in this sort of thing and those who are not. One of the jobs of politics is to reach everyone and of politicians to reach everybody not just the twittering classes (yes I am one- @racheleden, although I heard on BBC Berkshire this morning that the average age on twitter is 54!)
* the problem is how to deal with those who don’t care about this…